Evaluation of a binary amphiphile/solvent mixture for the formulation of an ecological detergent as an alternative for removing fat from natural fiber surfaces

Abstract The current research focused on the use of a binary amphiphile/solvent mixture consisting of a natural surfactant (alkylpolyglucoside) and the green solvent ethyl lactate (EL) as an active compound for the formulation of a new ecological detergent, to improve the conditions of the washing process as temperature, pH, lipase integration, type of surfactant and detergent dose, to remove fat and dirt from natural fiber surfaces effectively. The best conditions for residual fat percentage <0.37% were achieved at 25 °C, pH 9, and using 0.3% detergent doses without lipase. The study also found that pH and the interaction between pH and surfactant type significantly influenced the percentage of residual fat. All the estimated results mean that the detergent obtained has excellent cleaning properties because there is a strong interaction between the alkylpolyglucoside/ethyl lactate binary mixture, which has a positive effect on reducing the percentage of residual fat and dirt and suggests its use potential in the formulation of green detergents for washing natural and synthetic textile fibers as a replacement for detergents based on ethoxylated fatty alcohols.